Coexistence refers to the ability for multiple wireless protocols to operate in or around the same frequency band without significant degradation to either's operation. For example, IEEE 802.16e wireless metropolitan area network communications (sometimes referred to as WiMAX), IEEE 802.11b/g wireless local area network communications (sometimes referred to as WiFi), and IEEE 802.15 wireless personal area network communications (sometimes referred to as Bluetooth) all operate in or around the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band at 2.4-2.5 GHz. Thus, simultaneously using two or more of these technologies in the ISM band (or operating one of these technologies in the ISM band and another near the ISM band), will require coexistence in order to operate effectively.
Within a single mobile station, two or more radio transceivers operating in or around the same band may cause internal interference. Transmitting using one technology at a frequency band while receiving using the other technology at the same or similar frequency band will lead to adjacent channel interference and receiver de-sense. Because IEEE 802.11b/g framing is asynchronous Ethernet-based and Bluetooth Synchronous Connection Oriented (SCO) framing for voice communication is synchronous, it is possible for the mobile station to delay IEEE 802.11b/g transmissions to a point in time when the mobile station's Bluetooth receiver is not active and thus reduce internal interference. However, because IEEE 802.16e uses synchronous framing and Bluetooth SCO links also use synchronous framing, there is little flexibility to delay one technology's transmission relative to the other technology's reception. When an IEEE 802.16e radio is transmitting simultaneously with a Bluetooth radio receiving, and vice versa, packet losses can be as high as 25% on the downlink (from a base station, or access point, to the mobile station) and 38% on the uplink (from the mobile station to the base station or access point).
Further complicating matters, it is desirable to spread energy on the ISM band “randomly” so it will look more like white noise. The practical effect of this desire is that synchronization of the IEEE 802.16e and Bluetooth radio clocks within a single mobile station is not preferred. Additionally, Bluetooth communications on the unlicensed 2.4-2.5 GHz ISM band should not consistently degrade IEEE 802.16e communications on the licensed Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service (MMDS) and Instructional Television Fixed Service (IFTS) bands at 2.5-2.7 GHz in the United States or IEEE 802.16e communications in the 2.3 GHz band in Canada, South Korea, and United States.
Thus, there is an opportunity to develop methods and apparatus for Bluetooth SCO-link coexistence with OFDMA synchronous framing communications that will reduce the risk of internal interference without synchronizing the clocks of those two radios within the same mobile station. The various aspects, features and advantages of the disclosure will become more fully apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon careful consideration of the following Drawings and accompanying Detailed Description.